EVERY year, up to 600,000 Americans develop blood clots in the veins of their legs or lungs. Risk factors for these clots vary, but most frequently involve surgery, hospital stays of three or more days, hip and knee replacement, cancer and cancer treatment, a family history of blood clots, or disorders that simply cause their blood to clot too much.
Blood clots that form in the legs or lungs are responsible for about 100,000 deaths annually. Fortunately, the use of blood thinning medications, also known as anti-coagulants, stops clots from forming and can mean the difference between life and death. Surprisingly, some people at risk may not be given these medications or may not take them as prescribed.